Is a once wide-open title fight already over?

The 2018-19 ABB FIA Formula E drivers' championship looked as if it was building into yet another fiercely contested battle that would go down to the wire. When eight different drivers won the first eight races of the season, it seemed likely that more than half the field would be heading to this weekend's season finale in New York with a shot at claiming the crown.

But then Jean-Eric Vergne turned the screw.

By winning in Monaco in May, a victory the DS Techeetah driver secured by leaping from group one in qualifying to the front row (taking pole once Oliver Rowland's grid penalty came into effect), he became the first repeat winner of the season. Last time out in Bern he went one better, putting on a repeat effort to take the win after claiming pole position outright, despite the group-one handicap.

Lucas di Grassi is the only other repeat winner from this campaign so far after the Berlin victory he achieved in between Vergne's European triumphs (to go along with his win at Sanya). But around that victory the Audi driver floundered, just when his rival was scoring heavily. He was taken out of proceedings by a clash with Alexander Sims in Monaco, and then a poor qualifying showing in Bern meant he had to battle brilliantly just to barely make the points.

Vergne, by contrast, kept notching up the points. As a result of his nearest challenger losing momentum at crucial moments, plus misfortune striking many of his other rivals, Vergne heads to the double-header finale with a 32-point advantage - just 58 are left available. He is the heavy favourite to win the title, and with it to become the first FE driver to successfully defend a championship.

"Nothing is comfortable in Formula E - I consider nothing done," he says, understandably wary of getting carried away. "Everything can change so quickly in Formula E. It's a good lead. It's bigger than I had last year [Vergne arrived at the 2017-18 New York double-header 23 points ahead of Sam Bird] but I'm not thinking about it too much. I'm going to go to New York with just the same wish: to win and try my best.

"It would be the biggest achievement of my career. [But] I forbid myself to think about the championship."

That is the sensible approach of a professional, and one who does indeed know how quickly things can turn around in FE - as his race-losing penalty in Riyadh and race-costing spin in Marrakech prove. But it is much easier for his DS Techeetah team to control the variables with a healthy points buffer.

The squad has arrived with such a healthy lead - two in fact as DS Techeetah is 43 points ahead of Audi in the teams' championship - thanks to its fresh approach to managing its mentality across the season. Team boss Mark Preston says FE's new-for-2018/19 qualifying rules, which have often left the championship leaders starting down the order thanks to dramatic track evolution or drivers underperforming, meant it had to rethink its expectations for every race, which in turn provided a steady boost.

"Everybody in pitlane has come to the sort of realisation with this new qualifying format, there's going to be ups and downs, so you've got to go with the ups and downs," he says.

Should Vergne again encounter issues at the season finale and fail to recover, there is still a pack of eager rivals who could scoop the crown

"I was coming into the Bern race, thinking, 'Do the best job, we may not be in the top five, because we're in group one and we know what happens with group one, let's just try to be in the top 10 and get as many points as we can and then hopefully we'll just keep picking up points'. Managing expectations is more what you [need now].

"At the start of the year it felt like, 'Oh my gosh, we've got to come from the back every time' but actually it's just about a sensible management of the total across the season with this new qualifying format."

By redefining its expectations, DS Techeetah set about establishing itself at the head of both championships. That approach also helped Vergne bounce back from the disappointment of losing the first two races, and three non-scores in the run up to Sanya.

Last year he had just one opponent to dispatch in New York, but this time around Vergne has seven rivals all hoping to capitalise if the unthinkable comes to pass and his grip on the title slips.

Here are the remaining contenders:

Lucas di Grassi

Wins 2 (Mexico City, Berlin)
Points deficit 32
Team Audi

The last time di Grassi headed to New York he was already out of title contention, but was armed with the most efficient powertrain package of last season. Both situations are reversed this time around - he's in with a shout, but doesn't have a tech edge. He needs to nail qualifying for the first race to have a chance of cutting Vergne's lead, as poor qualifying performances at recent races other than his Berlin win have hurt him. But a fired-up di Grassi with little to lose can't be underestimated.

He says: "We need a small miracle but the pressure's on JEV. We'll go there with less pressure, try to win both races and if something happens [with Vergne], you never know with Formula E. Maybe the gods of Formula E play their rules and we have a chance of winning."

Mitch Evans

Wins 1 (Rome)
Points deficit 43
Team Jaguar

Even if he doesn't come away with a title, this has been a fine campaign from Evans. He's been the joint most consistent driver - in terms of points finishes (nine), with Daniel Abt - and when he's been able to show his pace, especially in Rome and Bern, he has shone. Like di Grassi, and let's face it, anyone who isn't Vergne, he's got nothing to lose but, unlike the two leaders, he's not won an FE title. But he does have a team-mate not in title contention, and Jaguar would surely be silly not to try to play games if Vergne qualifies behind Alex Lynn.

He says: "There is a big gap to Jean-Eric in the points but I prefer to be the hunter than the hunted. If we get a big points haul on Saturday it will be all to play for on Sunday. I really have nothing to lose. I've finished every race this year and I am ready to fight for this championship. It's not over by a long way."

Andre Lotterer

Best finish this season 2nd (Rome, Paris)
Points deficit 44
Team DS Techeetah

Another universe surely has Lotterer as the DS Techeetah driver with a commanding points lead. Like Vergne, a regen software infringement penalty cost him in Saudi Arabia. The unfortunate incident with Sam Bird in Hong Kong prevented him from taking a maiden win there, and a post-race penalty cost him precious points in Switzerland. All of which means he's well adrift of his team-mate and will surely have to play rear gunner as he did in the Big Apple last year if he falls further behind after race one in New York. But if he's in the position to do so, would he give up the first Formula E win he so desires to aid Vergne's cause?

He says: "You can never lose hope, right? He has a big gap and we're in the same team, but who knows? Anything can happen. It's two races, two qualifyings and there's enough drama in this championship. It's for him to lose."

Antonio Felix da Costa

Wins 1 (Ad Diriyah)
Points deficit 48
Team BMW

Another title outsider who must be wishing certain events had gone differently is da Costa. The BMW Andretti driver won the season opener, but then dropped major points when he clashed with team-mate Alexander Sims while they led in Marrakech, and was disqualified from a points finish in Monaco for running in too high a power mode. A non-score following a clash with the DS Techeetah drivers in Santiago also hurt and, like di Grassi, poor qualifying cost him in Bern. But he's had the speed against the clock almost all year and must deliver early again in New York to turn the screw on Vergne if he's to have any hope.

He says: "We have to be realistic. It's going to be hard, very hard. I don't want to say impossible, but very hard. They are strong, they are fast, so it would already be hard even if we were stronger, but it looks like they are stronger. At least the fight for third is very much alive and I'd like to take that."

Robin Frijns

Wins 1 (Paris)
Points deficit 49
Team Envision Virgin Racing

It seems remarkable to think that Frijns topped the standings after winning in Paris, but he hasn't scored a point in the three races since. Being thrust into regular group-one qualifying outings means he's often started down the order, and that proved to be a disaster when he was taken out at the start in Bern, just when he needed to hit back. He really needs his luck to turn around, but when he has scored in 2018-19 he's scored highly.

He says: "After my win in Paris, we've had a run of bad luck, and in a championship as competitive as Formula E you just can't afford to not pick up points regularly. There are still two races left though so we'll keep fighting as we always do and see what happens in New York."

Sebastien Buemi

Best finish this season 2nd (Berlin)
Points deficit 54
Team Nissan e.dams

The first of the two title hopefuls who probably needs at least three miracles to stop Vergne is Buemi. He's also another driver whose season could have been so different: he crashed out of first place in Santiago, lost the lead in Paris with a puncture after contact with Frijns, and had the pace to win at Sanya before a practice crash and pitlane start held him back. The Nissan twin-motor saga has both helped and hindered the 2015-16 champion - he's been rapid in qualifying, but at the price of poor race-energy efficiency. Realistically, he goes to New York aiming to end an FE win drought that stretches back to June 2017.

He says: "New York normally is quite easy to pass so it's going to be a good final. I'm looking forward to finishing off the year strongly."

Daniel Abt

Best finish this season 3rd (Santiago, Paris)
Points deficit 55
Team Audi

Abt is the final driver heading to New York in mathematical contention - the driver behind him in ninth in the standings, Sam Bird, goes to an FE finale for the first time without even a slim chance. Abt has not delivered the headline results from last season that earned him an early contract extension, but as that was confirmed this morning it seems more than likely he'll play loyal lieutenant to aid di Grassi's charge.

He says: "We will try everything - we want to finish on a high."

Vergne's rivals all need circumstances to fall their way to varying degrees. But, again, this is Formula E.

Last year, on the eve of his maiden title triumph, Vergne and his team-mate Andre Lotterer were thrown out of qualifying for exceeding the power limit after a software issue.

Should something similar happen again and this time Vergne fails to recover, there is still a pack of eager rivals who could scoop the crown regardless of how inevitable his triumph seems right now.